ハッピーハロウィ～ン

10月中旬くらいからパーティーシーズンが始まります。
ハロウィ～ンなのでコスチューム。

BC州もといカナダにはいろんな政治グループ（マリファナParty）がありますが、今回行ったパーティはWorklessParty主催。名前の通り「もっと仕事時間を減らそう！」ってゆうのが活動趣旨です。
そんな楽しい人達が主催のコスチュームパーティなのでそりゃもう、エンタメ満載。ステージパフォーマンス、コスチュームコンテスト、ボディペイントコンテスト、ライブ音楽いろいろ。
そこそこ楽しんで、混み混みになってきたので早めに退散。来年はもっと大きな会場を見つけて欲しいです。

 

さて、その翌週。
コマーシャルドライブにて毎年恒例の仮装パレード。先週同様わたしはノーコスチュームで行ってきました。
→出撃直前の様子、お子様は閲覧ご遠慮ください

熊さんの着ぐるみを着た5人の熊集団。全身タイツの蝿。プリンセスもののけ。ミニスカートのユニコーン。ブロークバックマウンテンのカウボーイカップル。にまぎれて一人普段着の私。来年はなにか作りたいな。。。って去年も言ってなかった？
フィールドにコミュニティ神殿が作られてたり、ファイヤー集団がファイヤーパフォーマンスしてたり、ドライブの周辺でいろんなことが起こってました。子供たちはみんな大興奮でしょう。
→BeeFamily

... Close

レストラン"Chai"

出不精のわたしがひさびさお出かけしてきました。

生バンドとベリーダンスで食べ放題のインド・アフガン料理。今夜の収益は全て寄付。ウェイトレスは全員（このイベント時だけ）ボランティア。

いつものごとく行き先は「あっちの方」とだけ把握。バンクーバーのブロードウェイ沿いを西へ。
普段の生活圏はメイン周辺なので、めったに西に行くことはないし。。。西は物価高いし。。。

ブロードウェイの西の方ってリトルグリークだったんだー（そうなの？）。グリーク系のストアやレストランがたくさん。靴屋もたくさん。高級そうで、おしゃれなお店たくさん。＄10ヘアカットってのもあったけど。。。
ほーーーー。

って感じできょろきょろしながらたどり着いたのが「Ｃｈａｉ」っていうレストラン。
１階にはチャイカフェ。
２階への階段を上って行くと、早速お香のにおいとあったか～い雰囲気がしてきました。

内装は木を使ったナチュラルな雰囲気。低めのイスやテーブルもみんな丸太を使った土っぽい感じ。
アフガンカーペットが敷き詰められてて靴を脱いでも快適そう～。

料理はバッフェ(buffet)でデザートもたくさん。普段デザートはあんまり好きではないけど、せっかくなので今日は全部食べようと思って料理＆デザート全種類食べちゃいました。
バッフェっていうとおおざっぱな印象がぬぐいきれないけど、ここのバッフェは一味違う！さすが＄２５でしかも寄付しちゃうイベント。
全ての料理に愛を感じます。きちんと作ったテイストです。
完璧な味付け。スパイスがパーフェクト。
５種類のチャイも飲み放題。

音最高。
シターと琴の巨大タンバリン（名前知らない）演奏に続き、ギター・バイオリン・ドラムのスペイン風、その後はチェロとか弦楽器バンドの演奏。おっちゃんがタキシード着てたよ。かっこいい。
ベリーダンスが始まってみんなうっとり。目の前でおしりがふりふりふり～。あやうくおしりが顔面ヒットしそうだったのでちょっとイスを後ろにずらしてみました。
広いとはいえない店内は人口密度「高」。床に座って食べてるから、目の前でふりふりふり～。

ドラム持ち込んでもオッケーらしく、後ろのほうからもぽこぽこ聞こえてくるので、わたしも「マイドラム持ってくればよかったなー」って思ってたら、一緒に行ってた友達が「なおがドラムたたきたいんだけど、シャイで言えないから」ってマイドラムをぼこぼこしてた男の人に話しかけてくれて「すいませ～ん、ありがと～。」ってな具合で５分ほどたたかせてもらいました。
まだあんまり上手じゃないけど、たたくの好きなんだよね。

軽く踊って、軽くたたいて、満腹のイブニングを過ごしました。
感謝。

... Close

Victoria BC : Part 4

This totally is like an short story...
If you've read all the way from part 1, thank you.
If you've read it but didn't quite understand it, well, GOMEN.

Here I go again!


we were having dinner together, Mary and us, the conversation ended on a topic and we were all silent at one point.
So I opened my mouth at last.

"I came here with a mission, of my own, to say something that I couldn't when I first met him. Sort of like a message. I think I want to tell you the message, Mary"
"If you ever go to Japan, you are welcome to stay at my parents house in Nagano"
Mary asked " Does your parents have a farm?' yes. "Are they organic?" yes. super organic. I added "If you are interested in Marshall art stuff, my dad will be happy to take you to Aikido Class"
Her eyes were in tears, and she said " my dream came true"
She is part japanese Nikkei, loves organic life, very shanti, very beautiful person. I just met her and didn't know anything about her except that she will be visiting my parents in the near future.


～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・
The whole trip was about overcoming my self-esteem problem, to be able to say honestly without worring about how I look.
But I realized something more important than that: such a small positive challenge like this have a positive influence on others. I am glad that I did, at last.

... Close

Victoria BC : Part 3

This is becoming like an essay or short novel...
here I go.

Well, I was so chickened up that I didn't want to make my first move, so I sat down on the sofa and waited for something to happen. Thankfully UJ made his first move. He greeted a girl who came down to the living room from the stairs, we exchanged the names and handshakes, and she went into the kitchen.
Another girl came out from the kitchen and greeted us, we told who we were, what we were doing in the house, and explained our concerns that he was not here at the moment.
She kindly said there is nothing to worry about and she would show us a place to sleep for tonight, then she invited us for a dinner.
I could finally stand up from the cozy couch and went inside to the kitchen. There were a few other people there cooking. I introduced myself and offered a hand, and everything was just fine. The worries I had, 'might I say something wrong' or 'we are unwelcome' or 'might I be laughed at' were mere concerns and unrealistic in the house. I felt I was safe in the house.

One after another people stepped into the kitchen and in the course of half an hour, we met 4 Mikes and other non-Mikes.

The girl who invieted us for dinner, her name is Mary, asked me where I was from. I told her that I grew up in Nagano and live in Vancouver now.
As soon as I said Nagano, she went " Nagano! I remember having a dream a while ago, and waking up yelling Nagano! but I have no particular interest in that place. " She said this very pleasantly.
It clicked me.
While we were in the kitchen I kept thinking "should I tell her that I came here to tell the message?" That'd be too wicked.
I was struggling again, to speak out, say things I WANT to say. Because it's just too weird to say that....but I had already decided that I was gonna tell this message. and it was the mission of this trip.
The dinner was ready, we all started eating. We all talked about stuff while we were eating but my mind was out there trying, struggling, thinking.....'damn me, just say it, who cares what she will think of me'.

... Close

Victoria BC : Part 2

He told us(me and my partner UJ) that friends are welcome at all times at the house, and the house was shared by dozen or so people.

I called the house from the ferry but he was not home, and noone knew when he was coming back. Oh well. I'd told him by mail that we were coming and he had confirmed, so everything should be fine.

UJ and I got to the house in dark. The house was old and huge.
We looked for a door bell. 'No, there is no door bell. hmmm...'
We pushed the door. 'Yes, it is open.'
OK, now what.
We stood at the living room looking around. There are instruments everywhere, all kinds of drums, guitar, violin, electric organ (my mother used to have one just like this), and so many others that I've seen before but don't know the names of...
There is no one in the living room. hmmm...

We heard chattings from the back of the living room. We must go talk to someone and figure out what to do next. I was not confortable beeing in an unfamiliar environment nor talking and greeting to strangers. But must I do what I must!

I am such a chicken s$%t sometimes. Things like this is so big a challenge to me.
It takes so much energy to overcome my hesitation, but when I do (which is still rare but,) I feel "what the heck was I warried about".
Some people can go talk to straingers without giving it any second thoughts. I envy.
Some of my friends are so good at talking/grabbing attention, talking to new people is no hasstle to them whatsoever. It wows me.
Well, it just so happens that I don't have that kind of character, and that I need to work on this constantly.

... Close